WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13th, 7-9pm Zen and the Art of Washing Your Dishes with David WeinsteinKoan:A newly arrived student approached the teacher and said: "Please give me instruction."The teacher responded:"Have you eaten?" The student replied,"Yes, I have."The teacher responded, "Then, wash your bowls."It is said that Zen is hard because it is so simple. Could it be as simple as washing the dishes after a meal and it being just the next thing? Knowing what the 'next thing' is requires me to be present to where I am. It's like having a map, you have to know where you are on the map to be able to use it. You have to know who you are to know what the next thing is. Could it be as simple as washing the dishes?David

The Emperor asked the National Teacher, “What do you want me to do when you die?”“Build a seamless tomb for me,” replied the National Teacher.“Please show me the tomb’s design.”The National Teacher was silent for a long time and then asked, “Do you understand?”“I don’t.”“I have a successor, who does understand. When the time comes, ask him about it.” After the National Teacher’s death, the Emperor sent for the successor and asked him what the teacher meant. He said:"From South to North,In it is gold that fills the land.Beneath a shadowless tree, a ferry boat.In the crystal palace is no one who knows."From time to time I find myself remembering one of my teachers, who is now gone. Those remembrances are unusual for memories. They feel more like bodily experiences. If I explore the word 'remember', a 'member' is a body part or organ and 're' means 'again'. Breaking the word down that way feels closer to the kind of remembering I'm talking about. A 're-bodying' of my, now gone teachers. This re-bodying is an experience of being with them, and it is seamless.David

New @ RMC - Retreats Waking up Together at Years EndTwo PZI December Retreats

A PZI New Year Tradition: Sat. & Sun. Dec. 30th - 31stExploring the Journey at Year’s Endwith John Tarrant in Oakland.Saturday, Dec.30th: 10:00am – 6:00 pm (program)6:30 - 9:00 pm (optional group dinner)Sunday, Dec. 31st: 10:00am – 6pm (program)Fire, hurricane, earthquake, flood, threats of war: it’s been quite a year and this retreat is a chance for us to come together in a deep and inward way. It's a kind of purification at the end of the year, leading to greeting the New Year. We can put down what we are carrying, and welcome what we are turning toward. Caring for life starts with caring for your own life. So come on the journey of this retreat with me. I’ll tell the story of the Buddha, we’ll have koan meditations, intimate conversation, deep inquiry, wisdom talks, wandering walks, and a warm-hearted group all wishing to gently say goodbye to 2017 and warmly welcome the New Year!This retreat is something I hope to do every year at the turning in midwinter. There are not a lot of places, it’s going to be small and intimate, so sign up early. I look forward to seeing you there.REGISTER NOW for more information____________________________________________________THIS WEEK Sun. Dec. 10th Enlightenment Day: Waking Up Together​with Rachel Boughton in Santa Rosa. 7am-10am (optional) Sunrise Meditation and Breakfast10am-4pm Retreat with Potluck LunchWhat is enlightenment? Is it rare or is it happening all the time? Chiyoko awakened when the bottom of her bamboo bucket fell out into the well. In early December the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree and stayed there until he had awakened. Yu the donut maker was making doughnuts, the woman at the inn was washing dishes, Lingyun was wandering among peach blossoms. We wakeup in all ways and all conditions, while meditating, while working, while despairing, while lost. We wake up on purpose and by accident. And it changes us. And then we wonder what to do with the new world we’ve discovered. How do we live now? moreREGISTER NOW for more information

A Wonderful Holiday Gift- Support PZI​Pacific Zen Institute presents an exclusive DVD offerScenes from an extraordinary retreat with two Zen masters, and a chance to support our ongoing work.In Autumn 2012, Zen koan masters John Tarrant and Joan Sutherland came together to converse about The Blue Cliff Record, the first great collection of koans, now almost 1,000 years old. It’s a text filled with stories that change you.We are thrilled to be able to offer this DVD record of the event—a chance to witness their collaboration in a set of live conversations about Zen, koans, and enlightenment.